London `12 Olympic Games: Unsung Sport - Track & Field's Hammer Throw

Originated: Celtic. Can be traced back to 1829 B.C. - Tailteann Games held in Tara, Ireland. Entered Olympic competition in 1900.
Where Popular: In Scottish Highland Games. European dominated.
Best Athletes: Athletes from the former Soviet Union and Belarus have thrown the farthest (men). Athletes from Germany, Russia, Poland, and Belarus have thrown the farthest (women).
Reigning Olympic Champion: Primoz Kozmus (Slovenia - men), Aksana Miankova (Belarus - women)
Reigning World Champion: Koji Murofushi (Japan - men), Tatyana Lysenko (Russia)
Interesting Tidbit: Women could not compete in the hammer throw in the Olympics until 2000 (Sydney). The U.S. dominated the first six medals of the hammer throw in the Olympics

It is interesting how the best athletes in this track and field event are from countries, which are nowhere near the origin (Ireland, Scotland, England) of the hammer throw. But, hands down, Russia, known for its breakthrough strength, is no surprise in how it has dominated this event. The country that gave us kettlebells has roots in rotational movement: think about ice hockey, gymnastics, and kettlebell swinging.

To excel in this sport, an athlete needs strength, power, balance, and a lot of grit (grunt!!!) With cable machine exercises, dumbbells, and kettlebells a hammer throwers movement can be mimicked. We will hold right here on this one. However, since the hammer throw is technical and difficult to get a hold of (we can't buy one at City Sports) whet your palate by messing around with a sledge hammer for a good workout of strength and power.


Make It Happen,
Derek